Third Degree product reviews

I get a feeling of catharsis from the author when she wrote this book. The last page in the book, the "Author's note", does mention some parallels between Ruth (the character in the book) and herself, the author.
I approached this book with some trepidation, firstly because of the age range the book is aimed at; secondly, I wasn't sure I wanted to read a 'love story' either. I really needn't have worried on either count.

The book is interesting in the way that it is almost two stories in one, jumping back and forth between two writing styles - that of the child in seventies, and that of the young adult some ten years later. The child chapters are numerically indexed, the adult chapters just have titles when they flick you back to the present. As much as I hate to use other people's words, I do find the cliched 'gripping and poignant' to be thoroughly apt for this novel. I felt at times that I was right there with Ruth in the hospital as an observer, and despite having never spent any time in hospital, I can understand my fellow reviewer's comments about reliving bad memories - the narrative is so clear that it would haunt anyone who has spent any time in hospital.

At times I was a little bothered by the author's style of writing, I found it too short, snappy and childish, but on reflection, it is the skill of the author to capture the words of a younger person.

This book gets the big thumbs-up from me.

Ruth is a young woman who has had a pretty eventful life, but not too many people outside the family know about it.

Having spent many unhappy times in hospitals myself, I was more than a little put off by the inclusion of the main characters' memories of her time in a hospital. At times the realism tended to have me reliving my bad memories and wishing they hadn't happened.

Overall, the writing style was clear and easy to follow, but, I felt, a little too bogged down with emotions and memories.